Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/435; the “2013 Regulations”).

In particular, the Regulations make provision for payments in respect of the consideration of unused material under both the advocates’ graduated fee scheme (as set out in Schedule 1 to the 2013 Regulations) and the litigators’ graduated fee scheme (as set out in Schedule 2 to the 2013 Regulations). Provision is also made in relation to fees payable for special preparation under the advocates’ graduated fee scheme.

The Regulations also amend the advocates’ graduated fees scheme in respect of payments for cases where there is a guilty plea or a cracked trial. They also amend Schedule 4 to the 2013 Regulations to provide the amount of a fixed fee in relation to work undertaken in a case sent from the magistrates’ court to the Crown Court for trial.

Regulation 7 of these Regulations makes transitional provision.

An impact assessment on the effect that these Regulations will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available from the Legal Aid Policy Team, Access to Justice Directorate, Justice and Courts Policy Group, Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ. The impact assessment is annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside these Regulations on the UK legislation website at http://www.legislation.gov.uk.